OREANDA-NEWS. Hitachi, Ltd. announced today that it has unveiled one of the trains being manufactured for the UK Department for Transport's Intercity Express Programme (IEP), the order for which was received in July 2012. The new trains are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014, and will be shipped to the UK for test operations in the first half of 2015.

This project is being undertaken based on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme led by the British Department for Transport. Financial support is being provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) and other organisations.

Hitachi is currently manufacturing three pre-series trains for the IEP at Kasado Works in Kudamatsu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Of the total 122 trains ordered, twelve, including the one recently unveiled, are being manufactured at Kasado Works. The remaining 110 trains are scheduled to be manufactured at the rail vehicle manufacturing facility that is currently under construction in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in the UK.

The Class 800 series trains now scheduled for delivery will be equipped with underfloor diesel engine generator to run not only electrified routes but also non-electrified routes. Furthermore, the diesel engine generator can be removed, facilitating a smooth transition to electric operations as the electrification programme expands. Passenger rail transport service using the Class 800 series trains is scheduled to start from 2017 on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) and from 2018 on the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

Aside from high-speed railways, in October 2014, Hitachi secured preferential negotiating rights from the railway operating company Abellio (head office: the Netherlands) for delivery of 234 AT-200 cars (70 trains) for standard suburban operations, and for a long-term maintenance contract. The two companies are currently in the final stages of contract negotiations. Hitachi will continue to undertake proactive sales activities targeting railway plans in countries around the world, as part of its efforts to accelerate the global rollout of its railway systems.